Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the police on the steps they are taking to tackle the availability of black mamba and spice on the streets; and if she will make a statement.

We have regular conversations on tackling illegal drugs with the National Policing Lead for Drugs, including on the prevalence of synthetic cannabinoids, such as those sold under the brand names of Spice and Black Mamba.

We recognise how dangerous synthetic cannabinoids can be and the devastating impact that they can have on communities, families and the individuals taking them.

That is why we acted to control these substances as class B drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act and give the police the powers they need to take action, including making possession illegal and delivering longer sentences for dealers.

We are monitoring the prevalence of these drugs, and new psychoactive substances more widely, through a range of sources such as survey data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales, and data on the numbers of people in treatment.